310 
WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIEDS. 
admiration. He was tlien satisfied not to cease his atten- 
tions, but, to take a step further, lie presented me witli a 
straw, and even witli increased appearance of adulation. 
From that time he claimed me wholly, no one else could 
approach the cage ; he would fight most desperately if any 
one dared, and if they laid a finger on me, his fury was un- 
bounded ; he would dash himself against the bars of his 
cage and bite the wires, as if he would obtain his liberty at 
all hazards, and thus be enabled to punish the offender. 
If I went away now, he would first mourn, then endeavor 
to win me back by sweet songs. In the morning I was 
awakened by his cries, and if I but moved my hand, his 
moans were changed to glad greetings. If I sat too quietly 
at my drawing, he would become weary, seemingly, and call 
me to him ; if I would not come, he would say in gentle 
tone, " Come-e-here ! come-e-here !" so distinctly, that all 
my friends recognized the meaning of the accents at once, 
and then he would sing to me. All the day he would watch 
me, if I was cheerful, — he sang and was so gay ! If I was 
sad, he would sit by the hour watching every movement, and 
if I arose from my seat, I was called " Come-e-here," and 
whenever he could manage it, if the wind blew my hair 
within his cage, he would cut it off, calling me to help him, 
as if he thought I had no right to wear anything else than 
feathers ; and if I would have hair, it was only suitable for 
nest-building ! If I let him fly about the room with the 
Painted Finch, he would follow so close in my footsteps that 
I was in constant terror that he would be stepped on, or be 
lost, in following me from the room. At last he came to the 
conclusion that I could not build a nest. I never seemed to 
understand what to do with the nice materials he gave me, 
and when I offered to return them, he threw his body to one 
side and looked at me so drolly from one eye, that I was 
quite abashed. From that time he seemed to think I must 
be a very young creature, and most assiduously fed me at 
stated periods during the day, throwing up from his own 
